Getting There
=Bus= Overnight buses are a good way to get around Japan if you are looking to save some yen since they are significantly cheaper than the Shinkansen. Please see JR Bus for a listing of schedules, fares and boarding points for buses bound for Osaka and Tokyo leaving from JR Wakayama and Nankai Wakayama-shi station. For highway buses from Shirahama/Tanabe/Minabe to Osaka and Kobe please see Meiko Bus for more details (Japanese only). For traveling within Wakayama visit Wakayama Bus. Unfortunately these sites are only in Japanese so if you can't read Japanese please ask a Japanese friend or JTE for help. Japan guide is a useful site that can give you information in English on overnight buses throughout Japan. =Air= 'International' Kansai International Airport 関西国際空港 (KIX) Kansai International Airport (KIX), pronounced Kansai Kokusai Kuko or Kanku for short, is the main international airport for western Japan. Extensive train, bus and ferry links provide access to Kansai Airport's artificial island. Below is an overview of how to get to the airport. *Train - Board a train bound for Osaka from JR Wakayama station -------> Get off at Hineno station -------> Change trains and board the Kanku Rapid for Kansai Airport *Bus - Take the airport limousine bus from JR Wakayama station to Kansai Airport. Please refer to the following website for the timetable and fare Airport Limousine Narita International Airport 成田国際空港 (NRT) In some cases there are no flights to your chosen destination from Kansai International Aiport (KIX). In those cases you may have to go to Narita International Airport (NRT). There are many ways to get there by either train or bus, however, if you wish to fly there here are some options: *Take a domestic flight from KIX to Haneda Airport -------> Take a limousine bus from *Haneda to Narita Airport via the NRT-HND InterAirport Route or take a train. Take a domestic flight from Itami Airport located on the other side of Osaka. They have direct flights to Narita Airport. If you live further south in Wakayama prefecture, then another option would be to take a flight from Nankai Shirahama Airport to Haneda Airport. Again you would have to take a limousine bus to Narita or take a train. Chubu Centrair International Airport 中部国際空港 (NGO) Chubu airport is in the Nagoya area. It is the third largest and busiest airport following the Narita and Kansai airport respectively. You may get cheaper flights via Chubu, but in all likeliness flying via Narita and Kansai is your best bet. Only way to get to Chubu from Wakayama involves taking a train. 'Domestic' There is only one Domestic Airport in Wakayama prefecture, Nanki Shirahama Airport (Japanese only). It only serves the Tokyo area and has direct flights to Haneda Airport. It usually has 3 flights daily and 2 flights during the off-season. =Ferry= Ferries are a less common way to get around Japan, but many JETs from Wakayama like to travel to Shikoku and the ferry is a great way to do this. Ferries run from Wakayama Port to Tokushima. Please see Nankai Ferry or Japan-guide.com: Ferries for more details. =Train= Take a train -to be filled in later